Schedule (click here)

GREENWOOD, IN – Transylvania University has been voted as the frontrunner in the 2012-13 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball championship race. The Pioneers, who earned the outright title last winter, received seven first place votes in the Coaches' Preseason Poll. Transy garnered 97 points overall in the poll holding off Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology who finished with 92 points and the final three first place votes.

Hanover College has been forecasted as the third place team by receiving 76 points in the poll.  Defiance College's 64 points placed the Jackets fourth and were followed by Franklin College (49 pts) in fifth position.  Bluffton University (48), Manchester University (40), Anderson University (36), College of Mount St. Joseph (34), and Earlham College (14)  round out the poll.

Transylvania will be looking to capture its second consecutive HCAC championship this season and opens the year ranked No. 16 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 preseason poll.  The Pioneers won the HCAC title last winter, posting a 23-5 overall record and a 16-2 mark in the HCAC.  Transylvania fell to Rose-Hulman in the conference tournament championship, falling to the Engineers 76-73 in overtime. The Pioneers earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III tournament.  Transy lost to Carroll 84-74 in the first round of the tournament, ending the season.

Transy returns three All-HCAC selections, including the HCAC Player of the Year from last year's team.  Senior forward Ethan Spurlin (Stanford, Ky./Lincoln Co.) earned the conference's top honor last season, averaging a team-high 16.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a junior.  Senior forward Brandon Rash (Mt. Sterling, Ky./Montgomery Co.) joined Spurlin on the first team All-HCAC squad a year ago.  Rash contributed 15.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.4% from behind the arc.  Senior guard Barrett Meyer (Frankfort, Ky./Franklin Co.) earned a spot on the second team All-HCAC team as a junior, averaging 11.8 points per contest.

Rose-Hulman will be looking to surpass Transylvania in the race to the top of the conference standings this winter after finishing third in the standings a year ago. The Engineers knocked off Transy 76-73 in overtime to win the HCAC tournament title last February and earn a spot in the NCAA Division III tournament field.  RHIT fell to North Central (IL) 74-71 in the first round of the national tournament, ending the season with a 20-9 overall mark.

The Engineers return a pair of second team All-HCAC selections from last year's squad.  Junior guard Julian Strickland (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) led the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore.  Senior guard Austin Weatherford (Cicero, Ind./Hamilton Heights) added 12.8 points and a team high 2.7 assists per game last winter.

Hanover will look to make a run at the title this winter after finishing second in the HCAC standings last season.  The Panthers return one member of the All-HCAC squad from a year ago.  Senior guard Ryan Nowicki (Carmel, Ind./Guerin Catholic) earned a spot on the second-team All-HCAC squad, averaging 12.5 points per game as a junior. 

The opening games on the schedule are slated for November 15 with the first conference games scheduled for November 28.

Transylvania University Head Coach Brian Lane

2012-13 Men's Basketball Players to Watch

Anderson:  Phil Hogan (Sr., G, 5-11, Indianapolis, Ind./Pike)

Bluffton:  Josh Fisher (Sr., G, 6-1, Rockford, Ohio/Parkway), Dustin Kinn (Jr., F, 6-5, Alveda, Ohio/New Reigel), Josh Johnson (Jr., G, 6-0, Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa-Glandorf), Will Pope (Jr., F, 6-6, Dayton, Ohio/Preble Shawnee)

Defiance:  Logan Wolfrum (Sr., G, 6-4, Defiance, Ohio/Ayersville), Mason Roth (So., G, 6-0, McComb, Ohio/H.S.)

Earlham: Dustin Rusk (Sr., F, 6-5, Frankfort, Ind./Clinton Central), Marty Broderick (Sr., C, 6-6, Mooresville, Ind./H.S.)

Franklin:  Gunner Erwin (Sr., F, 6-5, Salem, Ind./H.S.), Bailey Howard (Jr., G, 5-11, Nashville, Ind./Brown Co.)

Hanover:  Ryan Nowicki (Sr., G, 6-1, Carmel, Ind./Guerin Catholic), Drake Hendricks (Sr., G, 6-1, Muncie, Ind./Wapahani), Brian Gunter (Sr., F, 6-5, Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier)

Manchester:  Greg Flores (So., G, 5-10, Hammond, Ind./Norton), David House (Sr., F, 6-5, Elkhart, Ind./Concord), Caleb Jackson (So., G, 6-5, New Castle, Ind./H.S.), Grant Newlin (So., G, 5-9, Muncie, Ind./Chowan)

Mount St. Joseph:  David Mann (Jr., G, 6-5, Fairfield, Ohio./Cincinnati Christian), Andy Countryman (So., G, 6-2, Peebles, Ohio/H.S.)

Rose-Hulman:  Julian Strickland (Jr., G, 6-4, Indianapolis, Ind./Pike), Austin Weatherford (Sr., G, 6-2, Cicero, Ind./Hamilton Heights), Jon Gerken (Sr., F, 6-6, Defiance, Ohio/Tinora), Brenton Balsbaugh (Sr., F, 6-6, Greenville, Ohio/Arcanum), Nate Gissentanner (Sr., G/F, 6-4, Conyers, Ga./Rockdale Co.), James Pillischafske (Jr., G, 6-3, Louisville, Ky./Male)

Transylvania:  Brandon Rash (Sr., F, 6-3, Mt. Sterling, Ky./Montgomery Co.), Ethan Spurlin (Sr., F, 6-4, Stanford, Ky./Lincoln Co.), Tate Cox (Jr., G, 6-1, Hindman, Ky./Knott Co. Central), Barrett Meyer (Sr., G, 6-2, Frankfort, Ky./Franklin Co.)